Super Rugby

Tickets

News

News

Moody confident his return is not far away

Monday, February 12, 2018
Lynn McConnell Getty Images

Props have tended to be matter of factual in the way they go about their business and All Blacks prop Joe Moody is no different.

Recovering from surgery for a dislocated shoulder suffered at an inopportune time last year, he has his sights set firmly on getting back onto the field and into the particular hurly-burly that those of his ilk tend to find the most satisfying aspects of their rugby.

QUICK TAP: THE 2018 SUPER RUGBY SEASON LAUNCHES IN STYLELast year Moody was heading towards perhaps his best season, having been part of the Crusaders Super Rugby win and performing well during the British & Irish Lions series, and when injury came against Argentina in New Plymouth he felt like he was in great condition.

"I was just loving playing. It was awesome, everything was going great then obviously the injury happened and yes, it was pretty rough on me but at the same time I just had to focus on getting right and getting back and better, and to where I was," he said.

Sitting back watching the remainder of another Rugby Championship and a November tour to Britain and France was tough, but throughout it all he was focused first and foremost on his recovery.

Moody kept in touch with what was happening during the end of year tour and was confident he understood what had developed as players took their chance to stake a claim for consideration in the loosehead prop role.

"They fitted in pretty seamlessly, you couldn't tell if there was any drop-off between bench players and that sort of thing coming on so it was good to see," he said.

And while opposing countries had been talking up their players as they build towards next year's Rugby World Cup, Moody said he hadn't been paying too much attention.

"For me it's more about what I bring and how I play the game," he said.

That's why he wasn't too concerned about the implications of the format change which sees the competition revert to more contact with both Australian and South African sides.

"I don't really take too much notice of how it's all run, I just turn up and play whoever is put in front of us," he said.

But he did agree it was good to know you were playing everyone rather than the subsidised results which guaranteed a certain number of teams from each country, in spite of how many points had been achieved.

"To know that you've played everyone and beaten them to get to where you are has got to be a good concept," he said.

Recuperation time after his surgery was not a case for him doing any special analysis of technical matters in his game. He was restricted in what he could do and all his goals were based on recovery and rest and rehabilitation.

"That's been going really well. My range of motion is almost back to 100 percent and now I'm just chipping away trying to get the strength back," he said.

Knowing the work that had been going into preparation by the younger and newer players in the Crusaders squad, he expected the side to go well in its bid to defend the Super Rugby title.

"It will be good to see how the team fronts up in the first couple of weeks," he said.

The countdown is on! Hands up if you are excited for the return of #SuperRugby! ??????